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When the site plot grinds to a halt...


Anonymous
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because no one is posting their parts or replying where needed. Time passes in character, but the plot continues to loom unaddressed. Especially awkward if the plot was considered 'urgent' but is largely ignored. People with important characters promise to take part but only do so once every great now and again. Or worse, they even leave the site. How do you move on when stuck in the middle of a plot that can't easily be skipped over?

Anonymous poster hash: 9f776...d99

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First, I would consider reevaluating how time passes IC. Make sure that its not going too fast to keep up with. RP is a hobby and sometimes people take a couple of weeks to reply. It sucks, but it happens. There is nothing wrong with changing time progression to suit your member base. If moving forward one IC month every RL two months is just to fast then fix it. If this is more like 'It's been 3+ weeks with nothing' then you're probably facing more of a motivation/muse issue. Are there any mini-site events that might boost member involvement? Or are they just being flakes/lazy? Because that is a totally different scenario. In which case-

 

I am stubborn. So I don't move on. I move through. I write the consequences of no one showing up/dealing with the plot. Not writing effects a plot just as drastically as writing does. Only my character arrives to fight the Big Bad? Well he is maimed/dead now and all the other characters will have to live in a world were the bad guy won. Relationships are damaged, because why weren't their friends by their side? 

 

Those are just general examples, but my point is that you don't stop writing. If your posts are not getting any replies then add a little on every once in a while. Have your character walk away or get frustrated at being ignored. End the thread, start a new one. In my experience the best way to get other people to do the thing is by doing the thing. So just keep writing, even if you have to do it by yourself!

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operation: bowtruckles & bombs

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its good to check ooc that the plot is actually engaging members. Sometimes the way an event is introduced, the format or the stakes of the plot can be confusing or intimidating, serving as a drain on player muse. Sometimes the plot isn't actually relevant to where players want to play. Sometimes it takes a player serving as a role model to actually react to the plot and get the ball rolling.

 

I tend to nope out of plots where the situation seems like an inevitable fail for my team. the enemy is posed as so big and powerful compared to my side, that I can't even imagine where to start looking for weaknesses. If I don't feel like i can change the outcome, I won't bother with the plot. I'll also nope out if I don't understand what's going on to begin with, or feel like I can't keep up so presentation of the plot can really matter.

 

its ok to have a plot default for if no-one posts. I've been willing to do that, essentially recap what happened and the results, but If its just the worst case scenario, that's also disheartening for me cause it's easy to dig the plot into a place that makes it feel like the problem can't be fixed.

this thread has some interesting thoughts on plot progression and pacekeeping.

 

 

Edited by Kazetatsu
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I don't understand the part with "Time passes in character, but the plot continues to loom unaddressed." As long as the plot is not finished, how can you move forward? You are just left waiting, so the time can't actually pass. And the plot thread's time is specified in the thread timestamp, so... how can the time pass from what is written?

 

Contact each member and ask them what is the reason they don't contribute to the plot. Tell them the consequences on the story and on their characters. Ask for timeframes and options from them. Then brainstorm together the middle way to encompass all their worries, and implement that.

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how time is handled really varies from site to site. time can pass in character if characters are able to play in ways that are disconnected to the plot. while the plot stands stagnant personal threads can keep going including serious character development points. fights can happen, characters can die, characters can learn new things and on and on. it happens most in sites that use liquid or semi-liquid time, or sites that have a setting large enough that the areas where the plot is happening can be reasonably ignored in favor of other parts of the setting. In these types of places, the plot can be responsive to what players are actually doing, can be influenced by personal threads, or be woven in to personal threads, but its also often difficult to run a plot that way if players aren't willing to play along with the plot.

Edited by Kazetatsu
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